Handy overview with theoretical models and tips for your marketing thesis

When do you write a marketing thesis?

A marketing thesis is often written if you are studying marketing, business administration, communications or a related field at bachelor's or master's level. The topic can range from developing a marketing strategy for a company or product, analyzing consumer behavior, evaluating marketing campaigns or writing a positioning.

In general, students are expected to conduct in-depth analysis, apply relevant theories and models, conduct research, draw conclusions and make recommendations based on their findings. Writing a marketing thesis therefore requires extensive knowledge of marketing concepts, research methods and academic writing.

What parts does a marketing thesis consist of?

A marketing thesis usually consists of several parts, including:

• Introduction: In your introduction you introduce the topic and purpose of the thesis and provide a brief summary of the structure of the thesis in the reading guide. Some courses want you to include the problem analysis, research objective, research question and relevance in the introduction, while other courses would like to see this in a separate chapter.
• Problem analysis, research question and relevance: In problem analysis, also called problem orientation or context analysis, you identify the organization's problem from both the internal and external context. This will help you arrive at the correct problem statement (the problem behind the problem), which will then allow you to formulate the research objective and research questions. Always mention the relevance of your research.
• Theoretical framework: You write your theoretical framework based on your literature research. Here you provide information about relevant theories, models and concepts that are used to support your research. If you use a lot of literature or want to formulate hypotheses, a conceptual model may be necessary.
• Methodology: In the methodology you describe the research design, including the research methods and data collection methods. Also describe how you ensure that your research results are valid and reliable.
• Results: In the results chapter you present the data collected and analyzes that were performed.
• Conclusion and recommendations: You provide a summary of the most important findings and conclusions drawn from the research and provide advice based on the conclusions of the research.
• Reference list: Here you list all sources and references used in the thesis. Make sure you cite all sources in the correct reference style, many colleges and universities use the APA style.

Which theories and models can I choose for a marketing thesis?

The choice of models depends on the topic and scope of your thesis. Here are some commonly used models:

• Abell model: The Abell model is used to define the organization's field of activity and determine growth directions.
• McKinsey's 7S model: You use the 7S model for an in-depth organizational analysis, in which both hard and soft elements are examined.
• BCG matrix and MABA analysis: For portfolio analysis, use the BCG matrix or MABA analysis, which assesses product life cycle and market growth.
• Business Model Canvas: To visualize and evaluate the organization's current business model, use the Business Model Canvas.
• DESTEP model: For macro analysis of demographic, economic, socio-cultural, technological, ecological and political-legal factors, use the DESTEP model (also called PEST model).
• Porter's Five Forces Model: You can use Porter's Five Forces Model to analyze competitive forces within an industry.
• SWOT analysis and Confrontation Matrix: Strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats come together in your SWOT. You then confront the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats of the organization. This is how you arrive at the key issues.
• Marketing mix (4P's or 7P's): The classic marketing mix consists of the four P's. The P for Personnel was added to this. There are now already 7 P's that you can use: Product, Price, Place, Promotion, Personnel, Process, Physical Evidence).
• STP model (Segmentation, Targeting, Positioning): With the STP model (also called SDP model) you identify and select the target groups (segmentation) that you want to target with your marketing activities. By positioning you develop a unique position in the market compared to competitors (positioning).
• Customer Journey: You use the Customer Journey to map and visualize all channels and interactions with customers. This gives you insight into the experiences and needs of your client's customers.
• Value strategies of Treacy and Wiersema: Treacy and Wiersema state that companies must choose from three different value strategies to distinguish themselves in the market: operational excellence, product leadership or customer intimacy. By excelling in any of these areas, companies can build a strong competitive position.
• Porter's Generic Competitive Strategies: Michael Porter, introduced three generic competitive strategies that companies can adopt to gain competitive advantage in their market: Cost leadership, differentiation, or a focus or niche market strategy. Porter emphasizes that it is crucial for companies to make a clear choice between these strategies and not get stuck in a "stuck in the middle position" where they do not choose a course.
• Blue Ocean Strategy: Instead of Treacy and Wiersema or Porter you can also opt for the Blue Ocean strategy, which means that companies focus on creating new, unexplored market spaces (blue oceans) instead of competing in saturated, competitive markets (red oceans). It's all about differentiation and innovation to create new markets.
• Ansoff Matrix: The Ansoff model identifies four growth strategies that companies can use to increase their market share: market penetration, market development, product development and diversification.

Practical tips for writing your marketing thesis

Here are some practical tips for writing a marketing thesis:

• Start early: Give yourself enough time to do preliminary research, write and revise your thesis. This prevents stress!
• Choose a relevant topic: Choose a topic that interests you and is relevant to the market and your client. This makes it easier to stay motivated and delve deeper into the subject.
• Provide a clear problem statement: Identify a specific problem or issue that you want to investigate and answer in your thesis. You do this using your problem orientation, which you often describe in your research plan. Make sure your problem statement is clear and specific. Do preliminary research and use the 6W model.
• Use reliable sources: Base your research on reliable and current sources, such as scientific articles, books and reliable websites. Your course often has a database available and Google Scholar also has many articles that you can use.
• Apply the right methodology: Choose the right research methods that suit your research question and objectives. This can be quantitative or qualitative research or a combination of both (mixed methods).
• Schedule time for revision: Schedule sufficient time to revise and improve your thesis. Let others read it for feedback and suggestions for improvement.

By applying these tips, you can write a strong and persuasive marketing thesis that meets the requirements of your course and provides value to your client.

Professional support for your marketing thesis

Are you going to write a marketing thesis and do you find it difficult to correctly define your topic? Are you getting lost in the theory and literature? Or do you just want to spar with an expert from the marketing field every now and then? Your Thesis Coach has several supervisors who can help you with this. We also offer extensive guidance for design-oriented research.